The St. Louis Jewish Light strongly encourages our readers to take part in the Putting Kids First ballot initiative for the Nov. 4 ballot in St. Louis County. As noted in these pages last week in a story by Jill Kassander, the Super Tuesday presidential...

The 2007 Jewish Federation Campaign raised a total of $11.03 million, setting a new all-time record in the 107-year history of the communitywide fundraising organization. Overall fundraising, including endowments and other gifts totaled an impressive...

WASHINGTON -- Pro-Israel activists across the United States should be congratulated for confronting the recent Fourth Annual "Israeli Apartheid Week" -- part of the ongoing campaign to vilify the Jewish State. Facing up to the "Israel-is-an-apartheid-state"...

2007 was a year of progress and very significant achievements for Jewish Federation. Guided by a new strategic plan, Federation's major goal is to significantly increase funds for Jewish needs in general and focus on three major areas -- senior adult...

I don't often go around advertising how passionate I am about preserving the environment, and thus the world, for future generations. Somehow, in the face of hunger, wars and violence, it seems trite to express passion about ecosystems. But, I do care...

Kaleidoscope Israel @ 60, the community-wide celebration of the 60th anniversary of the independence of the modern State of Israel is in full swing, and it is an occasion which deserves to be celebrated not only by the Jewish community of Greater St....

I have just returned from an extended trip to the Middle East, hoping that I would come back feeling recharged by the progress made in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, especially in the wake of the Annapolis peace conference. To my dismay, not in...

Our birthright israel tour bus came upon Eyal just south of Jerusalem. He was serving as one of our group's two armed guards for a run through Israel's Negev desert, and certainly came prepared for the job. Slung over one shoulder was his antiquated assault...

Upon being asked to write about my trip to Israel, I came to an astonishing conclusion: I don't remember anything. Now before you jump to any conclusions, understand that I was jetlagged for most of the trip and therefore completely in a fuzzy haze (my...

I read, with great interest, the stories in the Post-Dispatch and Jewish Light , about the efforts of dozens of people in the small town of Cairo, Ill., to convert to Judaism. With great effort, Phillip Matthews and his congregation endured hardships...

The surprise announcement by Missouri Governor Matt Blunt that he will not seek re-election has re-focused needed attention on the upcoming session of the Missouri General Assembly. In a recent report, which was published in our Jan. 23 edition, Sydell...

I was intrigued by Ellie Grossman's article, "B'nai mitzvah students thrive in Jewish Connection" (Jan. 2 column). She commented, "Jewish educators believe that the teenage years are the most critical time for forming a child's lifelong commitment to...